Romans Volume

  Well-known and regarded New Testament scholar, Richard Longenecker, has a volume on Romans that will be released sometime in the spring (Eerdmans). The Eerdmans site incidentally, attributes this volume to his son, the equally well-known and regarded, Bruce Longenecker, but this is a typo.

Longenecker is working on a Romans commentary in the NIGTC series (Eerdmans) so this volume may serve as a foretaste to the commentary.

Here are the details:

Introducing Romans: Critical Concerns in Paul’s Most Famous Letter $40.00 Paperback 536 pages ISBN: 978-0-8028-6619-6

Paul’s Letter to the Romans has proven to be a particular challenge for commentators, with its many highly significant interpretive issues often leading to tortuous convolutions and even “dead ends” in their understanding of the letter.
Here, Richard N. Longenecker takes a comprehensive look at the complex backdrop of Paul’s letter and carefully unpacks a number of critical issues, including: Authorship, integrity, occasion, date, addressees, and purpose

• Important recent interpretive approaches
• Greco-Roman oral, rhetorical, and epistolary conventions
• Jewish and Jewish Christian thematic and rhetorical features
• The establishing of the letter’s Greek text
• The letter’s main focus, structure, and argument

Update: Eerdmans has corrected the typo and now shows Richard Longenecker as the author of this volume.

Computer Issues

For the last few days I have been without a working computer. My HP laptop has been a real lemon; this time it is the video card. The problem is I have no extra dinero to get it fixed. At the same time I'm going to need something reliable, so I have begun to think about moving on to a Mac.

I have heard many good things about Macs, but I was wondering how different they are from regular PC's? 


How many of you had made the switch?

Durham Dissertations Online!

I found a wonderful resource tonight as I stumbled upon a site called Durham e-Theses. From the Theology and Religion department are 29 theses that can be accessed. Ben Blackwell's, John Goodrich's, Jason Maston's, Kyle Wells', and Jonathan Worthington's theses all pose an interest to yours truly. Please do check this out. What a great resource!

Gordon Fee Article

I found an article in Charisma News Online that features one of my, if not, favorite New Testament scholars, Gordon Fee.

The article focuses on Fee's Pentecostalism on one hand, and rigorous scholarship on the other, which used to be somewhat of an oxymoron in those circles.

Fee has some great quips and quotes here, so do check it out!

Cannot Wait! : Arland Hultgren's Romans Commentary

As I alluded to the other day, Arland Hultgren has written a Romans commentary (Eerdmans) that will be published in April of 2011.

Here are the details:

816 pages
ISBN: 978-0-8028-2609-1
 
On the heels of Arland Hultgren’s successful commentary comes a new volume exploring one of the most significant theological documents ever written. In this commentary Arland Hultgren engages the text of Paul’s Letter to the Romans using careful theological exegesis in conversation with scores of contemporary biblical scholars.



Hultgren walks readers through the letter verse-by-verse, illuminating the text with helpful comments, probing into major puzzles, and highlighting the epistle’s most inspiring features. He also demonstrates the essentially forward-looking, missional character of Paul’s letter — written, as Hultgren suggests, to introduce Paul-the-theologian to Roman believers and inspire their support for his planned missionary efforts in the Western Mediterranean.

This thoughtful commentary, ideal for pastors and serious students of the Bible, includes seven appendices that discuss in detail such hot button issues as “Romans 1:26-27 and Homosexuality” and “Pistis Christou: Faith in or of Christ?”

Schreiner's responses to Wright and Thielman

In case anyone missed it, Patrick Schreiner, son of Tom Schreiner, has posted excerpts from his father's responses to both Tom Wright and Frank Thielman.

This is quite helpful since these responses are actually from Tom's paper that he read at ETS.

Check it out!

Tom Schreiner Videos on Romans

I was scouring YouTube and found a couple of videos of Tom Schreiner delivering the Lloyd Oglive Lecture Series at Biola University earlier this spring.

The first is based on Romans 1.18-25 and is entitled "The Revelation of God's Wrath":



The second is entitled "Invincible Hope" and is based on Romans 8.31-39:



Enjoy!

Arland Hultgren Lecture

Over on YouTube I was able to find a lecture by Arland J. Hultgren, Asher O. and Carrie Nasby Professor of New Testament, Luther Seminary, entitled "Paul as Theologian: His Vocation and Its Significance for His Theology"( Word and World Lectures, 2009).

Incidentally, Hultgren is due to have his Romans commentary come out in the spring (ECC; Eerdmans).

Enjoy!

Frank Thielman on Romans 1.17

Here is another post by Marc Cortez on Frank Thielman's paper at ETS. Once again, kudos, Mark! I really appreciate these posts.

Tom Schreiner on Tom Wright

Marc Cortez has done everyone a huge service by recapping Tom Schreiner's paper on Tom Wright at last night's ETS session on justification.

Thanks, Marc. It feels as if I was there.

Do check it out!

Off the Grid: Who is the Greatest Rock Band of All Time?

Scot McKnight makes the claim  that this is a no-brainer: it is obviously the Beatles. I believe differently; I think that honor should go to Led Zeppelin. While the Fab Four can rightly be described as musical geniuses, maybe with the exception of Ringo Starr, has there ever been a more complete rock outfit than Led Zeppelin? Robert Plant, perhaps rock's greatest lead man, Jimmy Page, one of the greatest guitarists of all time, the most underrated, but perhaps the most talented member of the band, bassist, John Paul Jones, and last but not least, the greatest rock and roll drummer (sorry Keith Moon), John Bonham.

What do you think? I'm sure cases can be made for others, but at least on my iPod there is no one I'd rather have help me through a long night at work. I don't know what I'd do without a little "Led for my head".

The Tool to Revolutionize Pauline Studies: An Interview with James Ware

In recent times, many useful compendiums on Pauline parallels have appeared. None, however, have been able to accomplish what James Ware's creation promises to do, bring students of Paul face-to-face with the Greek text, enabling them to see parallels in the Pauline corpus as never before.

This unique work entitled, Synopsis of the Pauline Letters in Greek and English, will be a must have resource for all serious students of the New Testament. I really do believe that this work will revolutionize Pauline studies in future research of this field. I was fortunate enough to have a chance to discuss the details of  this volume with the author, James Ware, associate professor of religion at the University of Evansville.

On to the interview:

1.This is a unique volume in many ways. Talk about the need for a Pauline synopsis in Greek and how it fills a niche left by other Pauline synopses.



We have long needed a synopsis of Paul’s letters in Greek. The Synopsis of the Pauline Letters in Greek and English is the very first synopsis of related passages in Paul’s letters in both Paul’s original Greek and English translation. This volume contains both Greek text and English translation, on facing pages. The Greek text is that of the Nestle-Aland 27th edition, the standard critical edition of the New Testament, and the English translation is the NRSV. But I also believe this synopsis is a quantum leap over previous tools for the study of parallel passages in Paul in other key ways. This synopsis features a revolutionary format--based upon an entirely new approach to the study of parallel passages in Paul--which enables users for the first time to work with the multiple and many-faceted parallels to any passage in Paul in a systematic and comprehensive way. The work also has a lot of features designed especially for the English-only user designed to help bridge the gap between the original text and English translation. I include notes to explain key Greek terms underlying the English translation, and in key places where the NRSV obscures things for the English reader, I introduce an alternate translation which follows the Greek more closely. And unlike previous such tools, this volume is cloth-bound and elegantly designed, with a flexible binding which allows it to lay open easily on the desk. It will sit proudly on the shelf alongside your other tools for biblical study. In fact, it is my hope that this work will take its place alongside other standard tools of New Testament study, such as gospels synopses, concordances, and so forth, as an essential resource for the close study of Paul’s letters.

2. Before discussing the unique features of this volume, you have made an important methodological choice in choosing all of the Pauline letters ascribed to the apostle as well as relevant material from Acts. What lead you to this decision and how does this in turn benefit the reader of this volume?


Yes, as you mention, the Synopsis of the Pauline Letters enables the user to study parallel passages in the entire corpus of Paul's letters in the New Testament, together with related passages in the book of Acts. Regarding the inclusion of the entire Pauline corpus: I believe the goal of any standard tool should be to be as neutral as possible on such historical questions such as authorship and so forth. There is thus simply no defensible reason for such a tool to omit any of these letters, such as the pastorals, as some previous tools have done. Solid scholars such as Luke Timothy Johnson have made a strong case for Pauline authorship of the pastorals, and among those who reject Pauline authorship, almost all are agreed that these letters contain authentic Pauline fragments. Under such circumstances, omitting them would not make much sense. Besides, by including the pastorals, this work can be another tool in exploring the precise relationship of these letters to the other Pauline epistles, whereas excluding them would illegitimately preclude such work in advance. The neutrality of this work on such questions is reflected in the title: it is a synopsis of the Pauline letters, that is, the entire Pauline corpus in the New Testament, designed to be useful to all who study Paul, irrespective of their views on authorship questions.

The inclusion of relevant passages from Acts is also important. With the inclusion of the entire Pauline corpus as well as Acts, the user is able to work with the entire canonical witness to Paul’s teaching and ministry in the New Testament. By the way, I found in doing this work that the correspondences between Paul’s letters and Paul’s speeches in Acts are eye-popping, much more extensive than the standard (sometimes disconcertingly shallow) scholarly treatments of these passages might lead one to believe. And the differences are also interesting. For instance, it is clear that Paul’s Jewish identity is a major emphasis of Luke, whereas Paul in his letters tends (in general) to put much less emphasis on his Jewishness. With this synopsis, such similarities and differences jump right out from the page, and can be carefully studied and explored.

3. One of the great features of this work is the 177 groups of related passages. Explain how you arrived at these categories of Pauline thought and taking a number and topic label, give an example of how a Pauline theme can be traced through his letters.


I found in working with Francis and Sampley’s Pauline Parallels and other tools (besides the fact that they only provided the parallels in English), that they were very difficult to use effectively, as the target passages are not categorized by theme, but simply by a phrase or two drawn from the target passage. The reader is constantly left scratching one’s head over the precise connection between the passages. That is why I based this synopsis on entirely different principles. In this tool, the topic is clearly labelled for each group of parallel passages, so the user immediately knows the structural, formal or thematic relationship connecting the passages. The passages are grouped by epistolary structure (topics 1-8), epistolary forms (topics 9-14), literary forms (topics 15-22), content or theme (topics 23-161), key events of the Pauline mission (topics 162-166), and Paul’s co-workers (topics 167-177). Each topic is given a number and a topic label (e.g. 1, "Salutation, " 89, "The Resurrection of the Body," 124, "The Fruit of the Spirit," etc.). As far as the passages collected under each topic, the work includes both obvious and debatable parallels, leaving to the user’s judgment the relevance of any particular passage. The collection of parallel passages represents literally thousands of hours of work with concordances, commentaries, and other tools to uncover all relevant, or even possibly relevant, parallels. Of course, there is a subjective element involved here, especially when it comes to the thematic topics, but I have attempted to follow Paul’s own categories of thought, informed by the best of current scholarship on Paul. The Table of Topics at the front of the work contains a convenient reference list of all the topics. A fellow scholar remarked to me that simply reading through the Table of Topics is an education in Pauline theology!

4. You have endeavored to make this synopsis user friendly. Talk about how important the "Table of Parallels" is in using this synopsis.


The "Table of Parallels" is the real key to the effective use of this synopsis. The "Table of Parallels" lists, in canonical order, every passage from Paul’s letters, as well as the book of Acts, found in the work. The assumption is that, most of the time, the user will be studying a particular passage in Paul, whether for a sermon, Bible study, paper, or what have you. The user simply looks up the passage in the Table of Parallels, and this leads the user to every topic where that passage is found. Notice that I said "every topic": a passage is usually found in more than one topic, often several. This is where this synopsis is such an improvement over previous tools. Most passages in Paul contain more than one theme. Instead, in any passage in Paul, themes and motifs "cascade" one upon another. Previous tools operated on the (obviously false) assumption that any passage in Paul has only one key theme, and these tools locate the passage under that one theme, ignoring all the others. As a result, these works are very incomplete and frustrating to use. By contrast, the Synopsis of the Pauline Letters in Greek and English is really revolutionary, because it permits the user to unpack each of these various themes and motifs in any passage, and trace the parallels to each of them throughout Paul’s letters. As one of my students put it, its like an "exegetical explosion." That’s what makes this work such a powerful tool.

By the way, the work also contains an Index of Subjects, so whenever the users wish to trace a particular subject through Paul’s letters, they can do that as well.

5. I was pleased to find that this volume also includes a textual apparatus. What were some of the factors that lead you to include this feature and how did you determine what textual information to include/exclude?


We wanted this to be a truly comprehensive scholarly tool. When working with passages relating to the mystery of Christ in Paul, for instance, it is important to know that, while the Nestle- Aland text reads "the mystery of God" in 1 Corinthians 2:1, there is also strong manuscript support for the reading "the testimony of God." At the same time, a full apparatus, including even the most minor differences which are relatively insignificant for exegesis, did not seem necessary. The solution we came up with was to create for this volume a streamlined, working apparatus, including only those readings of greatest importance for exegesis. This too was a gargantuan task, but I am very excited about the results. The apparatus includes over 175 of the key instances of textual variation in the Pauline corpus and Acts. I think it would be hard to find a textual variation of truly significant importance for exegesis that is not included in this apparatus. And the apparatus has a unique design, differing from Nestle-Aland, but clear and easy to use, which allowed a lot of information to be packed into a small space. For each variant, the apparatus includes the evidence of all available papyri, all the major uncials, and even a select number of important minuscules! And the introduction includes a complete list of the manuscripts cited in the apparatus, providing each manuscript’s name, date, text type, and even current location. Users can use this for reference as they work through any reading in the apparatus. And the introduction also includes a brief but very helpful introduction to text criticism and using a textual apparatus, for those new to this sort of thing or who need a helpful refresher.

I would also add that the English text also includes a textual apparatus, which explains clearly what the variants are for the English reader, and also indicates the general weight of the manuscript evidence for each reading. These notes incorporate all the textual notes in the NRSV, but these NRSV notes have been corrected and expanded at many necessary points. And our English apparatus includes many additional variant readings not given in the NRSV notes. In addition, the English reader can also easily pass their eye over to the Greek apparatus for further information. The introduction to using the apparatus that I mentioned above provides all the background the English reader needs to effectively use the Greek apparatus as well as the English.


6. In my use of this, I can already see how this volume will improve my handling of the Greek text of Paul’s letters. Was this one of your goals in writing this volume?


Yes, one of the advantages of the facing page format is that it is very helpful for those who are seeking to improve their Greek skills, or whose Greek skills may be a bit rusty, in that it provides the translation help they may need at spots, all the time encouraging them to check out Paul’s precise wording on the facing page Greek text. By the way, one of the key aspects of this volume that I think both Greek and English users will appreciate is this: believe it or not, previous tools for comparative study of Paul have by their own admission based their parallels on English translations of Paul’s letters, not the Greek text! It is amazing how many parallels in these previous tools are included or not included, based on the vagaries of translation, often missing obvious connections within the original text. I would think that both those using the volume primarily in Greek, and those using it in English, would want the parallels collected on the basis of Paul’s original text. The Synopsis of the Pauline Letters is based in its entirety on the Greek text of Paul’s letters. Our synopsis is the first work that does this. I think this aspect is crucial for a reliable, scholarly tool for the study of parallels in Paul.

7. Name some of the benefits that the student of Paul’s letters will receive from this volume and give an example how this synopsis has benefited your own scholarship.


I knew I really had something when the manuscript was only partially completed and in unwieldy manuscript form, and yet I found I was already using the work constantly myself in my own study and research. I turn to it all the time now in my own scholarship. To give an example of the usefulness of this volume, let me explain another way in which this resource is a quantum leap over previous tools. The Table of Parallels not only includes every passage in Paul’s letters, arranged according to the standard sense divisions, but also individual units and sub-sections within each passage. So, for instance, if the user is studying Romans 1:1-7, the Table of Parallels, of course, directs the user to topic 1, "Salutation," where the user can compare this passage with every other salutation in all of the Pauline corpus. But the Table of Parallels also directs the user to passages parallel to the very important confessional formula embedded within that passage, Romans 1:3-4. The user can compare this formula to all other such formulas in the Pauline letters under the topics "Summaries of the Faith," and "Proposed Creedal Fragments." The user can also study passages parallel to the content of this formula in the topics "The Son of God Made Flesh" and "The Resurrection of Jesus." And the Table of Parallels lists other sub-sections of Romans 1:1-7 and their related topics. In fact, for Romans 1:1-7 alone, the Table of Parallels directs the user to ten different groups of related passages! The truly revolutionary design of this work makes it comprehensive in a way not achieved previously. I have been working recently on the resurrection in Paul’s letters. The synopsis allowed me to pinpoint specific parallels to the confessional formula in Romans 1:3-4, and this study led me to an important insight into Paul’s theology of Jesus’ resurrection. One of the reasons I am excited that the book is finally out, is that I can now use it in my own research and study of Paul!

Pistis Christou Debate on BibleGateway

Over on BibleGateway, Tom Schreiner, Craig Blomberg, Mike Bird, and Darrell Bock are unanimous with regard to pistis christou being translated objectively, that is "faith in Christ", albeit, with some qualifications.

It would be interesting to hear from the other side, namely, Mike Gorman and Douglas Campbell, to name just a couple who support the subjective rendering. I'd like to see their responses as well.

HT: Mike Bird

Paul and Scripture Papers Online

The Paul and Scripture Seminar of SBL has just posted some of its papers online. Among them is Ben Witherington's  and a fascinating study by Leonard Greenspoon who discusses whether Paul cited Scripture from memory.

Grant Osborne's Matthew: Subsequent Impressions

In a previous post  I gave my initial impressions of Grant Osborne's new commentary on Matthew (ZECNT).

In this post I will assess the different features of the commentary proper and show how Osborne utilizes them in a specific unit, namely, the beginning of the body of the Sermon on the Mount, Matthew 5.17-20 (179-185).

Each section begins with the heading Literary Context, with the goal of situating the scriptural unit with what precedes and follows, while also demonstrating how the passage fits in this case to the Gospels overall agenda.
Here, Osborne states that the central issue of Matthew 5.17-20 is Jesus' kingdom teaching relates to Torah (179). Torah is demonstrated to be "caught up and fulfilled" in Jesus' kingdom teaching (179).

Included in this section is a box that shows an outline that displays the larger and smaller units to which these passages belong (179).

Next, another heading, Main Idea, describes in a one or two sentences what this passage is all about. Regarding Matthew 5.17-20, Osborne writes:

The scribes and Pharisees had developed the oral tradition in order to explicate the law more clearly for the people; they wanted to make its meaning evident on the practical level of living rightly. Jesus is saying in effect that they have failed to do so. Only he can 'fulfill' it, that is, bring it to its intended end or goal (179).

Incidentally, I find that this component of the commentary could be most useful to the pastor, in that, the "main idea" brings a focus to the big picture of the passage, thus helping the pastor or bible study leader frame their sermon/lesson more expediently and decisively.

Following the main idea is the Translation. It is hard to do this section justice, because its strengths lie on the visual department which cannot be replicated here. Nevertheless, the first part of Matthew 5.17-20 appears something like this:

17a  Assertion           "Do no thin that I have come to destroy the law or the prophets.
    b  Contrast to 17a  I have not come  to destroy but
    c                                                        to fulfill it.
18a Basis #1               [1] For I tell you the truth,
                                                                                   until  heaven and
                                                                                           earth              disappear,
    b                              not the smallest letter,
                                    not the least dot of a pen, will disappear from the law

    c                                                           until everything is accomplished.   (180)

What my reconstruction in this post fails to capture is that the passage is framed by a box, the bold face font is in gray, and numerous lines are drawn to show the relationship between lines. For instance, Osborne draws a line from "disappear" in 18b to "until" of 18c.

Structure and Literary Form provides the reader with a summary of how the flow of thought proceeds. Here, Osborne cites favorably Guelich's  reading (Sermons on the Mount, 134-135) that these sayings of Jesus can be deemed as an "I have come" (ἦλθον) saying (v.17), a legal saying (v.18), a sentence of holy law (v.19), and an entrance saying (v.20; 180). These saying fit the pattern where Jesus challenges the legal assumptions of the Jewish leaders. Moreover, "Jesus' conclusion and the transition to his study of ethical righteousness in vv.21-48 are the basis of his proclamation that his is a superior form of righteousness to that offered by the leaders (181).

Another very helpful feature for the pastor/teacher is the Exegetical Outline. The passages overall structure is displayed here and again needs to be seen to be appreciated. Here is a partial rendering:

I.  Jesus Fulfills the Law (5.17-19)
    A. Purpose of his coming-- not to destroy, but to fulfill (v.17)
    B. Basis 1--abiding value of Torah (v.18)
        1. Limit 1--heaven and earth's passing
        2. Extent--not the smallest part
        3. Limit 2--all accomplished
    C. Basis 2--importance of Torah (v.19)
        1. the least--breaking a commandment
        2. The greatest--obeying the commandments
 (181).

Finally, the text proper comes into view. The author's translation comes first in boldface font (e.g. 5.17 Do not think that I have come to destroy the law or the prophets) followed by the Greek text in regular font (Μὴ νομίσητε ὅτι ἦλθον καταλῦσαι τὸν νόμον ἢ τοὺς προφήτας). This choice it seems is to give those with limited or "rusty" Greek an aid in piecing together the phrase(s). It should be noted however, with regard to the Greek, that exegetical discussions require some felicity on the part of the reader and are best suited for those who have had more than one year of Greek. That is not to say that the average reader cannot benefit greatly from these sections, after all there is plenty good exegetical discussions that all may benefit from.

The last section focuses on application and is entitled Theology in Application. Here, the theological message of the passage is summarized as well as its contribution to the broader areas of book and canon as well. This is followed by a focus on how this passage might speak to today's church. For this particular unit, Osborne has 3 separate headings: 1. Jesus Fulfilled the OT in His Life and Teaching (184-185); 2. The OT is Still Part of the Canon and Should Be Preached Directly; 3. The Disciple Must Live Rightly with High Ethical Standards (185).

My overall impression of this work is that one, this will be a commentary that is possibly the most useful for pastors/teachers due to its repeated focus on driving the reader back to the text. This does not mean that this will take the place of other Matthean

Second, Osborne does a tremendous job of distilling massive amounts of information for the pastor-teacher in that he refers to the major interpretive issues and the major players in the debate. For instance, when Osborne provides an overview of the Sermon on the Mount (5.1-12), he addresses the question of its relationship with Luke's Sermon on the Plain, asking "Are they the same sermon (Origen, Chrysostom, Calvin, France, Carson, Hagner) or two different messages (Augustine, Morris)?" (160).

In sum, I believe that when folks bemoan the plethora of commentaries on the market it is due usually to the perception that the commentator cannot add anything that has not already been said, so why go out and purchase another? The Zondervan Exegetical Series turns this notion on its head by offering the reader unique conceptual components that is aimed primarily to pastors/teachers, while simultaneously remaining conversant within scholarly circles. Grant Osborne's Matthew is an excellent addition to an already crowded market of commentaries on this wonderful Gospel.
       

Forthcoming Releases of Note: Baker Academic

Thomas Schreiner, who continues to publish at an astonishing pace, has another volume coming out, actually, for the second time, Interpreting the Pauline Epistles (second edition). Here are the particulars:
Price: $21.99
ISBN: 978-0-8010-3812-9
Release Date: May. 11

Leading Pauline expert Thomas Schreiner provides an updated guide to the exegesis of the New Testament epistles traditionally assigned to Paul. The first edition helped thousands of students dig deeper into studying the New Testament epistles. This new edition is updated throughout to account for changes in the field and to incorporate the author's maturing judgments. The book helps readers understand the nature of first-century letters, do textual criticism, investigate historical and introductory issues, probe theological context, and much more.

Endorsements

"This is a wonderfully clear and thorough guide. Schreiner draws on his decades of scholarship to paint a 'big picture' of how to read Paul's letters. At the same time, he breaks the reading process down into smaller steps, and he illustrates those steps with numerous examples. For students who want to move from guesswork and random dabbling to informed, life-changing engagement with the divinely inspired writings of the apostle Paul, there is no better starting place."--Robert W. Yarbrough, professor of New Testament, Covenant Theological Seminary, St. Louis, MO

 

"In a welcome update to a tried and trusted textbook, Tom Schreiner shows us how to find our way around Paul's world, letters, language, culture, and theology. Whether deciphering Paul's Greek grammar, learning how to follow his arguments, or studying Paul's unique vocabulary, Schreiner is a reliable guide to the novice and veteran alike. Seminary students will be forever grateful to Schreiner for giving them this book!"--Michael F. Bird, lecturer in theology, Crossway College, Brisbane, Australia

Another second edition, this one by Robert Stein, A Basic Guide to Interpreting the Bible, set to release in June, ($19.99) "helps readers identify various biblical genres, understand the meaning of biblical texts, and apply that meaning to contemporary life. This edition has been completely revised throughout to reflect Stein's current thinking and changes to the discipline over the past decade. Students of the Bible will find the book effective in group settings."

Another volume on the roles of submission and gender roles is on its way with Alan Padgett's, As Christ Submits to the Church: A Biblical Understanding of Leadership and Mutual Submission ($19.99; August 2011). The description reads:


What does the Bible really say about gender, the ethics of submission, and male-female roles? In this book, well-regarded theologian Alan Padgett offers a fresh approach to the debate. Through his careful interpretation of Paul's letters and broader New Testament teaching, the author shows how Christ's submission to the church models an appropriate understanding of gender roles and servant leadership. As Christ submits to the church, so all Christians must submit to, serve, and care for one other. Padgett articulates a creative approach to mutual submission and explores its practical outworkings in the church today, providing biblical and ethical affirmation for equality in leadership. 
The strong commentary series, Paideia, has another volume on its way in John by Jo-Ann A. Brant. This commentary is set to release in August 2011, retails for $29.99 and checks in at 416 pages.

Thomas R. Yoder Neufeld investigates the New Tetsament witness regarding violence in the offering entitled, Killing Enmity: Violence and the New Testament ($22.99; August 2011). Here is the description:

Is the New Testament inherently violent? In this book a well-regarded New Testament scholar offers a balanced critical assessment of charges and claims that the Christian scriptures encode, instigate, or justify violence. Thomas Yoder Neufeld provides a useful introduction to the language of violence in current theological discourse and surveys a wide range of key ethical New Testament texts through the lens of violence/nonviolence. He makes the case that, contrary to much scholarly opinion, the New Testament is not in itself inherently violent or supportive of violence; instead, it rejects and overcomes violence.

Updated NIV

The updated NIV 2011 is now online and is available for viewing. Also, some of the changes are highlighted in this translators notes package.

HT: Mark Stevens